Finally got on my bike!

So many things conspired to keep me off my Mercian this spring - weather, travel, parental duties and good ol' sloth. Today I finally threw a leg over the bike I worked so hard on over the winter and put down the first 20 miles of the season.

It wasn't as easy to leave as it ought to have been. I pumped the tires, then I switched saddles. I had it in mind to see if my old Brooks Pro was any more comfortable than the Specialized I got last season. After I changed the saddle, the front tube blew. Apparently the rim strip had shifted, exposing some of the drill holes for the recessed spokes, and that pinched the tube. So I put in a new tube, and off I went.

Lovely day on Long Island today, in the mid-60's. If I'd had more time I would have ridden to Locust Valley but I cut it short and swung back east in East Norwich. I averaged almost 15.5 mph, not bad for an middle-aged guy's first ride.

Overall the bike absolutely feels lighter and more responsive, and these are among the best wheels I've ever built. They feel nimble and seem to track dead-on true. No handed riding is straight and easy. I'm glad I went to a stem with a shorter reach, my physiology has changed and I was more comfortable. The saddle was no more comfortable, but no less either. So I'll probably go back to the Specialized because the Brooks wins style points but it's heavy as a brick. The components performed great, it's striking how silent the bike is now. I suspect I have a sticky chain link because I got a few random skips at the outer ends of the cassette. During the build I cheated at one point and removed some links the old-fashioned way instead of using the special breakaway rivets. I'll look into it after I switch saddles again.